CBS News president and co-head Neeraj Khemlani is stepping down from his role with nearly one year remaining on his contract.
CBS News and Stations president and co-head Wendy McMahon, who currently leads CBS’ local and digital business out of Los Angeles, will most likely assume his responsibilities running the national news division, reports Variety.
Khemlani told CBS News staffers Sunday that he has decided to exit and has inked a new multi-year first-look deal with CBS that has him developing content including documentaries, scripted programming and books for the Paramount-owned publisher Simon & Schuster.
“We maintained the #1 position of our iconic weekend programs, successfully developed and launched business plans to grow digital revenue that will sustain CBS News for the next generation, and elevated and promoted so many of the people who work here day after day to deliver on our journalistic mission,” Khemlani stated in a memo to staff. “I’m so proud of what all of you have accomplished — the scores of journalistic wins, the superb storytelling, the creativity that enhanced every aspect of our programming — that has put this division on a stronger path forward.
It’s with all of this progress in mind that I know it’s the right time for me to switch gears and focus on the reporting I love, the creative content I love, and, most importantly, the family I love,” he concluded. “While I will undoubtedly miss the day-to-day with so many wonderful colleagues, I’m looking forward to slipping my reporter’s notebook back into my pocket and heading out on a new adventure.”
Khemlani is the third TV news organization president to vacate the role, year to-date. Chris Licht was ousted from CNN in June after a tumultuous year-long reign as CEO of the network. Noah Oppenheim, who spent six years as NBC News president, left the company in January after a reorg of the NBCUniversal News Group.
Khemlani was named CBS News & Stations president in May 2021 after a stint running Hearst’s newspaper business. Earlier in his career, he was a 60 Minutes senior producer for eight years before taking on the top executive role at Yahoo News. He later worked for A&E, History, Vice, ESPN, before making the move to Hearst and eventually returning home to run CBS News.
Khemlani’s signature imprint on the news division was his renovation of CBS’ weekday morning program. He changed its name from CBS This Morning to CBS Mornings, paired Gayle King with CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil and former NFL player turned NFL Network host Nate Burleson, and more strongly connected the weekday show with CBS News’ weekend morning offerings.
He also oversaw the launch of CBS News Streaming Network, and garnered praise for hiring Washington Post journalist Robert Costa, former NBC News host Natalie Morales and former ABC News White House correspondent Cecilia Vega.
The network earned accolades for its reporting scoops over the past two years, the launch of the free ad-supported streaming service, continuing to win weekends and making gains on its competitors during the weekdays (namely in the A25-54 demo). However, there was internal turbulence at CBS News during Khemlani’s tenure at the top.
A source confirmed to digital news outlet The Ankler that CBS brought in an outside law firm, Kauff, McGuire & Margolis, to investigate Khemlani’s behavior after complaints from female execs. However, it is unclear whether the investigation played any role in his departure from his position at CBS News.
More than 30 women spoke to the law firm involved, one person told The Ankler.
There was an internal human resources review in late 2022 over multiple complaints about Khemlani’s management style. The review, led by a CBS corporate HR executive, reportedly focused on how he spoke to women and staffers of color.
The New York Post reported in January of this year that CBS CEO George Cheeks “privately voiced doubts to colleagues whether Khelmani is the right man for the job.” The Post added that Cheeks was “very worried” and that Khemlani may not get his contract renewed in 2024.
A number of CBS News staffers reportedly criticized Khemlani in a companywide survey taken in May 2022. Cheeks allegedly responded to these criticisms at a June 2, 2022 CBS town hall meeting that the company “needs to prioritize work-life balance.”
Khemlani and McMahon went on to form a “diversity and inclusion council” that endeavored to “foster and cultivate a culture of belonging and well-being.” According to The Post, Khemlani stressed the importance of attracting “underrepresented employees” and said he would “go on a listening tour” and “get actionable advice” on how to improve the workplace.
Nevertheless, Cheeks complimented Khemlani in a memo of his own Sunday, stating, “Neeraj will leave CBS News with our broadcasts stronger and our streaming footprint bigger and better,” adding, “CBS News and Stations is much better positioned for its multi-platform future. I’m so proud of the journalism on display every day from this division. The quality and diversity of stories we tell is so vital to the viewers we serve.”